Help is on the way.

UCLA signed three junior college football players to national letters of intent on Thursday in an attempt to bolster its roster for next season. At least two more are expected to sign in the coming days.

Defensive lineman Kyle Morgan, a 6-foot-3, 263-pounder from Pearl River Community College in Mississippi, originally signed with Miami out of San Francisco’s Galileo High School and will have two seasons of eligibility. He is a key singing because UCLA will lose all four of its defensive line starters to graduation this spring.

Matt Raney, a 6-4, 245-pounder from Phoenix City College has two seasons of eligibility remaining and three years in which to complete them.

Marc Villafuerte, 6-3, 290-pounder from Santa Ana Junior College is originally from Anaheim Canyon High School and has four years to complete three seasons of eligibility.

“Kyle, Matt and Marc fill immediate areas of need in our program,” UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said in a statement. “They will all benefit by participating in spring practice, and we expect them all to help us next season.”

UCLA is also expected to sign quarterback David Koral of Santa Monica College, so as to provide depth behind Drew Olson with Matt Moore having transferred, and John Sciarra thinking about doing the same.

The Bruins might also benefit from transfers. Former Fresno State linebacker Ricky Miller appeared at practice Saturday, apparently interested in transferring to UCLA. The redshirt freshman from Tustin, Calif., left the Bulldogs in November, unhappy over being converted into a defensive end, according to the Fresno Bee.

UCLA just happens to be playing Fresno State on Dec. 30 in the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.

JOHNSON TO STAY: Don Johnson will return as defensive line coach at UCLA after turning down an offer to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Nevada-Reno.

“He’s staying here,” Dorrell said. “He’s flattered with the opportunity, but he’s excited about being here at UCLA.”

Johnson came to UCLA in 2000 after five seasons as an assistant in Nevada.

LATEST VICTIM: Senior linebacker Brandon Chillar was forced to sit out Saturday practice after experiencing flu-like symptoms and vomiting.

“Golly, it seems like (the bug) hits one person and then it hits another person,” Dorrell said.